Culantro, Eryngium foetidum, recao, Mexican coriander, long coriander, sawtooth coriander and more names and whatever you call it in English.
I had eaten this many times in Vietnam where it is ngò gai, but have recently started to find it here in China where it has more names again. And I have become enamoured!
Most references call it a herb which it is, botanically. However it isn't always used that way. I tend to use it more often as another great green vegetable. I'm wondering if anyone else does. Or how you use it generally.
It is also a bit of a linguistic adventure. Often confused with cilantro or people think someone has mispelled cilantro. Of course, British English seldom, if ever uses 'cilantro', instead calling both the seeds and the leaves 'coriander'*. The thing that interests me is that 'cilantro', adopted from the Spanish was originally, in the 13th century 'culantro' only changing to 'cilantro' in the late 16th century.
('Coriander' is from the French, coriandre.)
Also, how do you pronounce 'culantro'? Wikipedia suggests it is pronounced with a hard 'c', ie 'k', yet I seldom hear that.
Quote(/kuːˈlɑːntroʊ/ or /kuːˈlæntroʊ/)
Wikipedia
Finally, it is also commonly claimed that it is similar in taste to cilantro / coriander leaf. I don't see that and I know others agree with me.
*Is there any other herb or plant where the seeds and the plants have different names?
